.: About Me
& Other Stuff
|
|
| .: |
Tempest (Atari) :.
|
|
 |
(Update 24.
May 2018)
Tempest (Atari 1980)
[ Game
Info | Pictures
| Manuals/Datasheets
| Repair/Restore
| ROMs
| Reproductions/Spares
| Mixed
Stuff ]
Game
Info
Overview -
Tempest
was the first color Vector Arcade Game on the market with a vertical
19" vector color monitor. Two player
alternating gameplay, high score save of the top 8 players (the top 3
even
after power down), two buttons and spinner for control plus a new
continue feature even if all lives have been lost. Tempest is said to
be the most collected game, probably due to its specific triangle shape
cabinet. Designed by Dave Theurer.
Description -
The
color vector display shows a wireframe tube where five different types
of monsters are crawling out of. Not all show up from the beginning,
the difficultest one comes firstly in stage 11. The player uses a
spinner on the control panel for moving a claw shaped spaceship around
the top of the tube
and firing at those monsters which appear at the bottom of the tube and
quicker and quicker heading towards the player. All enemies can shoot
at the player, but their shoots can be destroyed as well. The fire
buttons when held shoots burts of shells to the monsters. For emergency
purposes the player can use a "Super Zapper" two times per
stage
which
firstly destroys all enemies and, when pressed the second time will
destroy a random enemy. The spinner is very well balanced with enough
mass to keep it spinning and to have a good control at the same time.
The game has 16 different playfield designs and 99 skill levels. The
operators could select "easy" "medium" or "hard" gameplay and bonus
"lives" to be given at varoius points plus the language as english,
german, french or spanish. Also they got statistics of average and
total game play times for first and second player.
Cabinet
Types
»
Tempest Upright, October 1981,
25,112 units built @ $2,295
»
Tempest Cocktail, December 1981, 1,663 units built @ $2,095
»
Tempest Cabaret, December 1981, 2,176 units built @ $2,195
Clones/Bootlegs
- not
known
Prototypes -
Vortex, Aliens, ...more info later
Other Info
Sources
»
Interview
with the
developer Dave Theurer from Atari about making
"Tempest" - http://www.geocities.com/tempestauthorinterview/
» The
History of
Tempest - http://markn.users.netlink.co.uk/Arcade/tempest.html
» Tempest
on
K.L.O.V.
( The "Killer" List of Video Games) - www.klov.com
» Tempest
Page on
Game
Archive - http://www.gamearchive.com/Video_Games/Manufacturers/Atari/tempest.html
» Upright Cabinet [
link ]
»
Cocktail Table
Cabinet [ link ]
»
Cabaret / Mini Cabinet [ link ]
»
PCBs & other pics
»
Monitor Wells Gardner 6100 / 6400 (19") [ link ]
»
Monitor Amplifone (19") [ link ]
[ Up
| Game
Info | Pictures
| Manuals/Datasheets
| Repair/Restore
| ROMs
| Reproductions/Spares
| Mixed
Stuff ]
Manuals/Datasheets/Technical
Info
Tempest
- Upright
»
Tempest
UR Game Service
and
Operation Manual - TM-190
2nd
» Tempest
UR Game
Schematics (Drawing Package - six pages) DP-190 ... -01A -01B -02A -02B -03A -03B
» Tempest
Monitor
Operations and Service Manual - TM-183 3rd
- TM-183 Addendum
Tempest -
Cabaret
»
Tempest Cabaret
Service and
Operation Manual - TM-196
1st
» Tempest
Cabaret Schematics (Drawing Package - six pages) DP-196 ... -01A -01B -02A -02B -03A -03B
» Tempest
Monitor
Operations and Service Manual - TM-183 3rd
- TM-183 Addendum
Tempest -
Cocktail
» Tempest
Cocktail Service and
Operation Manual - TM-193
1st
» Tempest
Cocktail Game
Schematics (Drawing Package - six pages) DP-193 ... -01A -01B -02A -02B -03A -03B
» Tempest
Monitor
Operations and Service Manual - TM-183 3rd
- TM-183 Addendum
Tempest - All
Models
»
Theory of
Vector
Generators & Vector Monitors
- The secret life of Vector
Generators
- The secret life of of Vector
Monitors
- Programming the Vector
Generator
- Theory of Vector Generators
- AVG Description (Atari
Internal) 5.2
MByte
» "A
Hitchhikers
Guide to the Atari Digital Vector Generator" ( Philip Pemberton, Dec.
2005) - [ PDF ]
» Datasheets
for
electronic components - CPU 6502A - EPROM2716 - PROM 82S129 - Static RAM 2114 - D/A Converter AD561J - TTL Logic 74LSxx
[ Up
| Game
Info | Pictures
| Manuals/Datasheets
| Repair/Restore
| ROMs
| Reproductions/Spares
| Mixed
Stuff ]
Repair
Tips
»
Tempest
Theory and
Troubleshooting Guide (©1999-2003 Nicholas Sayer) - http://www.kfu.com/~nsayer/games/tempest.html
» Troubleshooting
your
Tempest Machine (©1991, 1995 Greg
Woodcock) - http://www.gamearchive.com/...gw_tempest_troubleshoot.txt
» Tempest
Troubleshooting Guide from Atari - TM-195
2nd
» Wells
Gardner
6100
color XY Monitor FAQ V1.1. - http://www.ionpool.net/...6100_faq.pdf
» Atari
Vector
Monitor
(WG & Amplifone) Repair/Upgrade INDEX V6.3, see Chapter 10 for
Tempest Monitor (©1991, 1996 by Greg Woodcock) - http://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/...F_VAtari.html
» Adjust
+5V on an
Atari AR1 or AR2 Power Supply - http://www.elektronforge.com/AdjustAtariPS.htm
Restore
Pages -
tbd....
Improvements/Add-ons
- LV2000
» Tempest
ROMS Rev. 3 as .zip. Twelve (12) 2716 EPROMs needed - http://www.ionpool.net/...tempest_ver3_roms.zip
» Tempest
ROMS
Rev. 2 as .zip. Twelve (12) 2716 EPROMs needed - http://www.ionpool.net/.../tempest_ver2_roms.zip
» Tempest
ROMS
Rev. 1 as .zip. Twelve (12) 2716 EPROMs needed - http://www.ionpool.net/...tempest_ver1_roms.zip
» Tempest
Mathbox
PROMS as .zip file.
Six 82S129 and one 82S123 PROMs needed - http://www.ionpool.net/...tempest_mathbox_prom.zip
» Vortex
ROMS
(Tempest
Prototype), see Description - http://www.ionpool.net/arcade/atari/vortex_roms.zip
»
Aliens ROMS
(Tempest Prototype), see Description - http://www.ionpool.net/arcade/atari/aliens_roms.zip
[ Up
| Game
Info | Pictures
| Manuals/Datasheets
| Repair/Restore
| ROMs
| Reproductions/Spares
| Mixed
Stuff ]
Spares -
General - have a look
at the "Link Collection"
section to
find sources. I can help out with single items, if you don't find them
elsewhere. A
non conclusive List is in the "Electronics
/ Parts"
section.
Reproductions -
The following Reproductions are on the market with a varying grade of
quality. Have a look in the "Link
Collection"
section.
» Upright:
Sideart, Control Panel Overlay, Marquee Overlay, Bushing/Knob for
Spinner
»
Cocktail
Table: Control Panel Overlay, Bushing/Knob for Spinner
» Cabaret:
Bushing/Knob for Spinner
» Tempest
Collector Site - http://www.rocketranch.com/.../tempest.htm
» Paper
Tempest
(need to scroll down...) - http://www.wayoftherodent.com/pa/pa_staff.htm
[ Up | Game
Info | Pictures
| Manuals/Datasheets
| Repair/Restore
| ROMs
| Reproductions/Spares
| Mixed
Stuff ]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
